Revealing the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction longlist
A hopeful longlist that reflects the belief that every woman’s voice has the power to elicit and inspire change, the sixteen captivating titles span politics, memoir, science, history, biography, art and more, in an extraordinary, international celebration of women’s writing.
The 16 books – seven of which are debuts – are a compelling and inspiring reading list for 2026 and beyond. They showcase the many varied ways in which writers approach memoir writing, use personal experience to unlock stories of the past, and tackle the social, political, cultural, legal and environmental issues facing society today, with many offering an image of hope for the future.
The full list in alphabetical order by author surname is:
- Daughters of the Bamboo Grove: China’s Stolen Children and a Story of Separated Twins by Barbara Demick (published by Granta)
- The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet (published by Hutchinson Heinemann, Cornerstone, Penguin Random House UK)
- Don’t Let It Break You, Honey: A Memoir About Saving Yourself by Jenny Evans (published by Robinson, Little, Brown Book Group, Hachette UK)
- Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health by Daisy Fancourt (published by Cornerstone Press, Cornerstone, Penguin Random House UK)
- With the Law on Our Side: How the Law Works for Everyone and How We Can Make It Work Better by Lady Hale (published by The Bodley Head, Vintage, Penguin Random House UK)
- To Be Young, Gifted and Black: Creativity and Race in the 21st Century by Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason(published by Oneworld, Oneworld Publications)
- Artists, Siblings, Visionaries: The Lives and Loves of Gwen and Augustus John by Judith Mackrell (published by Picador, Pan Macmillan)
- Ask Me How It Works: Love in an Open Marriage by Deepa Paul (published by Viking, Penguin General, Penguin Random House UK)
- Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry (published by Jonathan Cape, Vintage, Penguin Random House UK)
- The Genius of Trees: How Trees Mastered the Elements and Shaped the World by Harriet Rix (published by The Bodley Head, Vintage, Penguin Random House UK)
- Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War by Jane Rogoyska (published by Allen Lane, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House UK)
- Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy (published by Hamish Hamilton, Penguin General, Penguin Random House UK)
- Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain by Zakia Sewell (published by Hodder Press, Hodder & Stoughton, Hachette UK)
- To Exist As I Am: A Doctor’s Notes on Recovery and Radical Acceptance by Grace Spence Green (published by Wellcome Collection, Profile Books)
- Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding Home in the 21st Century by Ece Temelkuran (published by Canongate)
- Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypi (published by Allen Lane, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House UK)
“The books on this hopeful longlist are rigorous and researched, lyrical and flowing. They are drawn together by the originality and skill with which they have been written. This reading list carries relevance and truth for the future as well as holding significant value for the present day – the books spark curiosity and demand attention; they are for everyone navigating the complicated and unpredictable world we are living in. The voices of these sixteen remarkable women need to be heard – loud and clear.”
Thangam Debbonaire, Chair of Judges
Key Dates:
FICTION LONGLIST – 4 March 2026
NON-FICTION SHORTLIST – 25 March 2026
FICTION SHORTLIST – 22 April 2026
WINNERS – 11 June 2026